My demon girlfriend
by KrissaKittyKay
Summary: The story is told by a man named Thomas Riley, who is recounting the events of his life that lead up to how he and his wife got together. A little long, a bit confusing, some references to some different bands, and minor cussing. But other than that, have fun!
My Demon Girlfriend

 _ **(A/N: Okay, this was originally going to be a nosleepreddit story, but it got too long. Enjoyz!)**_

My name is Thomas Riley. I'm 21 years old, and... I have the most unusual girlfriend you could ever imagine.

We've been together since I was 15. She actually came to me first, which is not that common. But let me tell you about how we met. It all started the night before my 15th birthday.

I had woken up because I'd heard something knocking against my window. I sat up to look, and saw a girl tapping at my bedroom window. She looked absolutely terrified, like she was the victim in a horror movie. She had a blanket wrapped around her, and she clutched to it tightly. Her eyes were filled with tears of fear, pleading with me to let her in. Jumping out of bed, I pulled on my shirt and opened the window. She climbed in, looking at me as if I'd just saved her life. "Th-thanks." She whispered, barely audible, clutching the blanket tighter. I nodded, shutting the window and locking it. "You okay? What happened to you?" I asked, turning back to face her. She shook her head violently, still holding the blanket tight. "I-i don't remember. All I know is I was in an abandoned hotel a few miles away, and it caught fire. I don't know why I was there, but I was probably beaten. And my clothes are burnt up, so..." She raised her shoulders, indicating the blanket. "That's why I have this." My face flaming up, I quickly went through my dresser, looking for something she could wear. I pulled out my favorite short sleeved t-shirt, which was just a t-shirt I'd gotten at a gaming convention a while ago, and handed it to her. She smiled brightly at me, reveling a row of gleaming white teeth, as sharp as needles. I jumped back at the sight, and she frowned. "What's wrong?" She asked. I swallowed hard, then pointed out her teeth. She laughed, and asked me to turn away. I did as she asked. A few seconds later, she asked if there was any, uh, necessities that she could use. I nodded without looking back at her. "Sure. I, uh, I'll be back in a bit. You're about the same size as my sister, so that shouldn't be too hard." I quietly went down to the laundry room, took some of Lydia's things, and went back to my room. I kept my eyes turned away as I handed them to her. I heard her chuckle as she took them, and put them on. "Alright, you're safe to look now." I looked up, and saw her standing in front of me, my shirt coming down to the top of her knees. Now that I took the time to look at her, I could see she was actually really pretty. Her hair was pure silver, her eyes were gold with flecks of purple, and she was rather slim. And in my shirt, she looked as thin as a twig, and I'm pretty slender myself. "Um, could-could you not stare, please? It's… Kind of weird." I quickly turned away, but mainly because I didn't want her to see me turn red. "S-sorry. Do you… Remember your name?" The girl thought for a bit, then shook her head. I sighed, then looked at her again. "Well, you have to have a name. You can't go around without one." She looked at me, her eyes filled with hope. It was almost hypnotic. I shut my eyes, and tried to think. _**There's gotta be a name that's perfect for her.**_ I opened my eyes again to look at her, trying to get some sort of inspiration. I snapped my fingers as the perfect name popped into my head. "How about Kinume?" _**(Pronounced: Kee-NOO-may.)**_ The girl smiled again, clasping her hands together. "Ooo, yes! I love it. Thank you so much!" Kinume threw her arms around my neck without warning, hugging me closely. I lost my balance, and fell on my butt. She fell on top of me. "*oof* Oww. Dang." Kinume quickly sat up, her knees on either side of my hips. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" I slid back a bit, then sat up, rubbing at the back of my head. "Eh-heh, it's okay." I heard someone moving in the next room. _**Lydia! Oh, crap!**_ "Quick, get to the other side of the bed." I told her. Kinume stood, and dashed over to the side of the bed by the wall. Lydia opened the door, her hair pulled back, and an annoyed look on her face. "What's up with you and making all that noise tonight? I'm trying to sleep." I narrowed my eyes at her. "Yeah, you're a liar. There's not even a snippet of sleepiness in your voice. Sending your boyfriend dirty pictures again?" Lydia glared at me, her face turning red. "Just shut up, and go to sleep!" I gave her a sarcastic grin. "On the floor? Really?" Lydia rolled her eyes, and shut the door behind her. Kinume popped up from behind the bed, looking confused. "Okay, um, what dirty pictures?" I looked over to her, and shook my head. "Never mind that. Are you sure you don't remember anything?" Kinume grinned. "I said I didn't remember what happened, and that I didn't remember my name. I never said I had amnesia." I just stared for a few seconds, then shook my head again. "What are you talking about? You're making no sense." Kinume stood up, and walked over to me. Sitting down next to me, she took a deep breath. "I don't know my name because my parents both died when I was rather young. I never knew the name that they gave me. And I don't know what happened to me because it was a little hurried, and I was drugged. Okay? Do you understand now?" I nodded, then paused, and shook my head once again. Kinume sighed. "Alright, just think about it for a bit." So I thought about it, running her words through my mind a few times. Like she said, it clicked once I thought about it. "Oh, okay. Now I get it." Kinume shook her head, smiling. "Heh, you're so slow." I didn't retaliate. Instead, I stood up, and started fixing my bed. Kinume stood up as well. "What're you doing?" I kept fixing the sheets. "Hey, you need some sleep. I'll use my sleeping bag on the floor." Kinume looked confused. "Why not share the bed? Wouldn't that be more comfortable?" I stopped messing with the bed, my face heating up. "Well…" Kinume realized what she'd said, then she turned red too. "Oh, sorry. I wasn't thinking." I shook my head again. I was doing that a lot tonight. Kinume stood on one foot, rubbing the back of her neck. I set up my sleeping bag on the floor, and Kinume crawled into my bed. "Oh, I almost forgot. What's your name?" She asked. _Psht, finally she asks._ "It's Thomas." I replied. I heard a sleepy sigh. "*hmm* Thomas. 'S a good name." Then she fell asleep. I spent a few minutes awake, thinking things over. I sighed, and rolled over onto my side. _At least tomorrow's Saturday._

" _ **Oh, don't leave me a-lo-oh-oh-oh-one…"**_ I woke up to the sound of soft singing. Sitting up while rubbing at my eyes, I looked around for the singer, momentarily forgetting about last night. "Morning, Thomas. So, what do I do now?" I jumped at the sound of her voice. I quickly spun around to see Kinume sitting on my right, crouching by the bed. I sighed. "You don't have to hide, Kinume. You're safe." Kinume shook her head vigorously. "No, no! That rude girl from last night came in earlier, like, five minutes ago. I had to hide under the bed. She… can't know I'm here, right?" I groaned, facepalming as hard as was safe for my face. Of course I couldn't let her be seen by Lydia, she would rat me out to Mom and Dad with some stupid conclusion like I had a girlfriend, and we'd, like, done some silent messing around, or something stupid like that. I stood up, still in the same shirt and P.J. pants from last night. Kinume looked up at me, still waiting for instructions. I held out my hand to her. "C'mon. I'll tell them what happened." She smiled her feral smile, took my hand, and let me pull her up. I slipped my hand up to her wrist, and pulled her out of my room behind me. I could smell coffee.

"Hey, guys." I called into the dining room before I actually went in. Mom turned to look at me, a smile on her face. "Happy birthday, sweetie." I groaned inwardly, my face warming up slowly. I heard Kinume giggle behind me, and I just shook my head. "Uh, thanks Mom. Anyway, um, I, uh…..Found something outside my bedroom window last night." Lydia walked in from the kitchen carrying a milk jug, still in her P.J.s as well. She smirked. "I knew you didn't just _'fall out of bed'_. You're not THAT clumsy." I didn't bother to answer her, which got her a little steamed. I cleared my throat nervously, then kept talking. "Um, and I…Wanted to show you." I stepped to one side, letting Kinume walk in. It was like time stopped in that little area for almost a full minute. Lydia was the first to break the silence. "What the… You've got a girl, little bro? Hmph, and you accuse ME of being dirty-minded in the middle of the night." Dad silenced her with a cold glare. He then cleared his throat, and gestured toward Kinume. "Um, son. Despite the fact that what your sister said was uncalled for, I have a similar question. Who is she? And you kept her in your room all night?" I took a deep breath, and decided to answer this like an adult. My teachers always said I gave logical answers on tests, so it was time to use them on real life situations. "To answer the second question first, yes I let her stay in my room all night. And as for your first question, her name is Kinume. She escaped from a… Buurrrning abandoned hotel, was it?" I turned to Kinume as I drew out the word 'burning' for confirmation. She nodded. "Yeah, it was a few miles down that way." Kinume pointed slightly northwest, taking my wrist with her other hand. She was pretty scared of my parents, I could tell. I pulled my hand up far enough to hold hers. I gently rubbed the top of her hand with my thumb, and she calmed down a bit. Well, she let go of my hand, at least. Mom walked over to us slowly, still unsure. "Um, sweetie. I-it's nice that you helped her, but are you sure that she's telling the truth?" I got a little ruffled for some reason. Glaring at my mother, I took Kinume's left arm, turning it over to show Mom one of her burns. "I checked. They're real." Mom backed up a bit. It was rarely ever that I ever got mad, but when I did, it was a good idea to keep me pacified. "Okay, sweetheart. If you say so." Dad cleared his throat loudly and sternly. I turned to face him, and he was glaring at me too. I dropped my gaze, and took another deep breath. Kinume stepped a little further forward. "Um, I'm sorry for being in your house without your permission. If you wish, I-I can leave." My head snapped up of its own accord at that. I whirled around to face her. "What? You don't mean that, do you?" Kinume's eyes gained a small sparkle as she nodded. I shook my head. "C'mon, you're fine. You're my friend, it'll be fine." I turned to my father. "Right, dad?" Dad put down his cup of coffee, a concerned look in his eyes. "Thomas, come with me. Uh, Kinume, was it? Would you mind staying with my wife for a few minutes?" I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry. I followed Dad to his study, like he'd asked. Dad shut the door behind us, then turned to me. "Son, what are you doing?" I gave him a desperate look. "Dad, she needs my help. She's got no family!" Dad walked over to his desk as I spoke. "Grammar, Thomas." He scolded. I vented an exasperated growl. "That's not the point! She's an orphan, Dad. You guys adopted me, right?" Dad slammed his hand on the desktop. "Thomas, that's an entirely different matter. We took the proper procedures to adopt you. You simply found her outside your window." I threw my arms in the air, indicating disbelief. "Buh- That's how a lot of kids are adopted! I'm not saying we HAVE to adopt her, I'm just suggesting that we let her stay until we find a family for her. What about Mom's friends a few streets down? Didn't they say they wanted a kid ever since they found out that Miss Claire was infertile?" Dad shook his head in astonishment. Apparently, he hadn't expected me to keep up the argument for this long, or to pull out this strategy. "Well, yes, but… Argh, Thomas! What are you trying to prove? What do you want me to say?" I walked up to my father's desk very calmly. Gently planting my palms on the desktop, I looked him in the eye. He should never have taught me how to debate. "Let me keep her. At least for a while. If and when I find her a family, I'll let you know. But until then, let her be MY responsibility." Dad sighed, turning his gaze down to some old adverts. "Son, this isn't like finding a stray cat." I grinned lightheartedly. "Yeah, but Dad, she's not a normal girl. She does what she's told. She stays hidden, and she's…a little inhuman, I want to say, but that's not it." Dad looked up at me, his face seemingly weary. Finally, he sighed again, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, fine. You _may_ keep her." He consented. "But she's your FULL responsibility. If anything happens involving her…" My grin widened into a full-on smile. I jumped up into the air, turned a backflip, and landed on my feet hollering, "YAHOO!" Dad shook his head. "You know, sometimes I don't understand you, son." I laughed. "Yeah, but you still love me, right?" Dad chuckled. "Yes, I do." I dashed out to the kitchen, calling down the hall, "DAD SAID SHE CAN STAY!" I heard Lydia groan. "Aw, no… Mom, it's not fair! How come Tommy gets to keep his girlfriend in our house, but you won't let Johnny come over?!" I growled as I came into the kitchen. "She's not my GIRLFRIEND, she's my CHARGE." I stated. "I'm looking after her until further notice." Kinume looked at me, her eyes shining with tears. "R-really? He-he's letting you keep me?" She stammered happily. I stuttered out a few empty syllables, then turned my face away. I didn't want them to see me turn red again. "W-well, i-it's not like…like…likeyou'regonnabemypetoranything." I got so flustered that my final words came out as one word instead. Kinume caught onto my embarrassment. She started to giggle. Pretty soon, she was laughing so hard that she fell over. Mom started laughing too. My face darkened and got warmer. "Ugh, just drop it, okay?"

' _ **Yaaeeee!'**_ Kinume snorted a bit. "Oh my gosh, this is hilarious! And you watch this?" I nodded, laughing hard myself. Kinume kept laughing as the awkwardness kept rollin' right on in. From the newest episode of Aphmau's 'Minecraft Mystreet' to my favorite three parter 'Neighborhood Play'. Needless to say, she loved 'Neighborhood Play' almost as much as I did. We both laughed so hard, we had to pause the show several times and catch our breath. Kinume shook her head as Travis went down again. "Ohh… Will he ever learn?" She asked. I grinned. "No, I don't think he will." Lydia walked into the living room, a triumphant smirk on her face. "Well, well." She said smugly. "Little brother's on a date." I didn't bother to get mad. I just switched to the next video, and said calmly, "Don't dates have to be, I dunno, _**OUTSIDE**_ the house?" Lydia's smirk slowly turned downward into a grimace. With a huff, she left the room. Kinume giggled again as Abby took Travis down with what sounded like three punches. I chuckled lightly, stretching out in my seat. "Yep, *mmhh* He'll never learn." I muttered. Forgetting that Kinume was next to me, I laid my arms across the back of the sofa. Kinume made a little noise, which kind of sounded like a strangled squeak. I pulled my arm back as I turned to check on her. She was cringing a bit, her eyes shut tight. I sighed. I'd forgotten she didn't like that. She'd been with us for only a week, and already I was failing at being a good caretaker. I hesitantly slipped one arm around her, and gently pulled her toward me. She didn't object. Actually, she pulled her legs up onto the sofa, and laid against me. Her head on my shoulder, my arm around her waist…It felt weird, but somehow it made me feel like a father. This was the thousandth time she'd made me feel like this. I removed my arm from her waist, and gently started rubbing her back. "Hey, you okay?" I whispered. Kinume whimpered out an *mm-hmm*, which didn't really convince me. Exhaling slowly, I turned the show back on. _**"*gasp* We HAVE to do that again!"**_ Katelyn cried. Lawrence and Garroth shook their heads violently while vehemently objecting. "No way, nuh-uh, never again, not doin' it." I muttered along with them. Kinume chuckled softly, snuggling closer to me. I swallowed hard, feeling _really_ uncomfortable. But she was my charge, and I had to make sure she was safe, healthy, and happy. So I let her be. "Aphmau, huh?" Kinume muttered sleepily. I smiled as I rubbed her shoulder briefly while answering. "Yeah." Kinume sighed, then fell asleep. I shook my head, and switched the TV to some gentle music. She needed her sleep. She hadn't been sleeping well lately, and I was starting to worry. I let her sleep until my arm fell asleep as well, which was like 15 minutes. "Hey, wanna do something fun?" I asked. Kinume rubbed at her eyes, moaning tiredly. "Like what?" She yawned. I got up off the sofa, and knelt in front of it. Kinume, getting the idea, climbed onto my back. She wasn't that heavy, really. I stood up, and headed for my room. "Well, do you know what Accapella is?"

"Hee, that WAS fun!" Kinume's smile was bright, but still scared me a little. I played the audio back to see what needed to be fixed up or changed around. Kinume watched over my shoulder. "What now?" She asked. I switched from the tone adjuster to the amplifier. "Well, now I have to edit the song to get the most quality from it." I explained. It took me about half an hour for me to fix, sync, adjust, and tune the audio to the perfect sound. And in that time, Kinume had made three _very_ perfect drawings. "Wow Kinu. Those are really good." Kinu smiled. "Are you done with the song yet?" She asked, standing up from the floor. I nodded, and handed her my headphones. "Here, listen." She listened to the whole thing about twice over before she took the headphones off. "Well, good or what?" Kinu didn't say anything, just gripped the bridge of the headset tightly, looking like she was gonna cry. I bolted out of my chair, concern flooding all other sense. "What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, gripping her shoulders. Kinu looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "I've…never heard my voice like that before. It's…different. I just…" It took all my willpower to hold back my laughter, but even then some of it got out. You ever seen that 'baby panda sneezing' video? That's what it sounded like. Kinu looked at me like I'd just said something she didn't understand. "D…did you just… _giggle_?" I shook my head violently, trying to deny the obvious truth whilst turning really red. Kinu snickered, then burst out laughing at the top of her lungs. I let out my suppressed laughter as well, and that's pretty much how we spent the next 25 minutes.

"Oh, I think I gained a six-pack from all that laughing." I groaned between half-giggles. Kinu was clutching at her stomach, lying on the floor next to me. She nodded, then shook her head, then burst into another fit of laughter. I just chuckled lightly. Kinu finally gave out, taking deep breaths and still clutching at her stomach. I turned onto my side to face her. "Hey, you alright?" Kinu smiled widely, and nodded once while gasping out an 'uh-huh.' I managed to sit up somehow, groaning as I did. I ran my fingers through my hair, blowing out a sigh. Kinu sat up too, still smiling. She scooted closer to me, and laid her head on my shoulder. I smiled lightly, and was about to put my arm around her shoulders, when she moved again. Kinume stood up, stepped lightly over my legs, then sat on my lap, putting her arms around my neck and laying her head against my chest. "Thanks for looking after me, Thomas." I swallowed hard, trying to get the lump out of my throat. Slowly, I put my arms around her, still feeling really weird. She fell asleep after three minutes, and I finally relaxed. Kinu seemed to sleep better when she was with me. I guess it was because I told her I would look after her. Carefully, I stood up, lifting her bridal-style, and carried her to the bed. Setting her down, I could feel her shift a bit. I smiled gently, put the blanket over her, and sat down on the other side of the bed. I told myself I had to stay close in case someone had tracked her to here. _I have to keep an eye on her as much as I can. Maybe…maybe I can find something out about her._

I guess I must've fallen asleep, because I was woken up by my alarm clock. I shot up in sudden alarm. *(Heehee, alarm was alarming.)* I groaned as I clutched at my head. I looked down at Kinu. To my utter embarrassment, I realized she'd been holding onto me as she slept. I got out of bed, hit the shower real quick, then game back and got dressed in my closet. It was big enough for three hanger racks plus two people standing. After I got dressed, I woke Kinu up. She went to school as well, so she had to get up. Kinume rubbed at her eyes as she sat up. Yawning she asked, "Is it time to go now?" I nodded. "C'mon, Kinu. Get up and get dressed." She nodded sleepily, but she got ready well enough. We both said goodbye to Mom, and we went to school.

"So, you just FOUND HER OUTSIDE YOUR WINDOW." My buddy Scott repeated in a tone that said 'dude, u serious?' I nodded. Scott cleared his throat. "Bud, have you ever though that she might've been a STALKER?" I glared at him, and opened my mouth to retaliate, but Kinu came over to me, and latched onto my arm. "Thomas, I don't like those girls." She pointed over at Rebecca's group. Rebecca Saunders was the snootiest girl in school. Her and her gang of gossip girls were the biggest pain in the butt ever created. I turned to Scott with a look that said 'see?' "What did they do?" Kinu glared in their direction. "They were making fun of my teeth and my eyes and my hair and the fact that you look after me. They asked me if I was your slut." Okay I could take things like that if it was about me, but this was crossing the line. I placed my hand on top of hers, and told her to stay with Scott for a minute. I walked over to the group of giggling idiots, and decided to take this calmly. "*ahem* Excuse me, but I couldn't help but notice that you've been picking on my charge?" Rebecca turned to me with a venomously sweet smile. "Oh, Thomas darling! What, your _**charge**_? Oh, her. Well, I'm sure I didn't say anything to hurt her – well, not anything I didn't think she could take like a woman." My anger started to impregnate my voice as I spoke. "Well, seems like she doesn't like the questions that you put to her. May I ask, what exactly did you ask her?" Rebecca's voice was dripping with almost as much venom as mine as she answered in the same sweet tone. "Well, I simply asked her if she was your girlfriend or such. I'm quite sure she could handle that, couldn't she?" I clenched my hands into fists, speaking through gritted teeth. "Rebecca, could you please repeat the question that you asked her, _**exactly**_?" Rebecca tossed her hair, and grinned dangerously. "Alright, then. I asked her 'have you two made out yet, seeing as you're his first slut?' There, hap-" I finally snapped. Without thinking, I swung. HARD. Rebecca fell over from the force of the punch, crying out. Her girls started screaming and yelling, and a few knelt down by her to help her and see if I had 'ruined her perfect face.' I walked away from the group, heading back to Scott and Kinu. "HEY, FAGGOT!" Rebecca shouted at me. I stopped in my tracks, and without bothering to look back at her, I called back, "I don't recall being gay, Rebecca." I kept walking to my friend and my charge. When I got there, Kinu immediately took my hand in hers to check and see if I had hurt myself. Scott started laughing. "Dude, whuh-what part of her face did you…" I shrugged. "I dunno, higher cheekbone?" Scott doubled over with laughter, almost falling over. Kinume rubbed my knuckles, then let go of my hand. "Thank you, but don't ever do that again. Please. I don't want you to get in trouble because of me." I shook my head. "If I get in trouble, it'll be on me. Not you." I rubbed my hand, walking to the restrooms.

"And you struck her because…" The principle, Mr. Swons, pressed. I took a deep breath as I searched for the words that I thought would best serve. "Sir, she was bullying my charge, your new student. Rebecca asked her a few inappropriate things and it upset her. And personally, Sir, I can't really blame her. Rebecca herself told me what she asked Kinume, and I find her question to be very rude and disgusting. I had no intention of striking the girl, but I kind of… blew my lid." I muttered the last bit because I had ran out of smart stuff to say. Mr. Swons stood with his back to me, not saying anything. I thought he was angry, so I started to say something when I heard him laugh. "Um, s-sir?" Mr. Swons turned back to face me, grinning slightly. "You know, that might've been the exact excuse I would've used at your age." I relaxed, and smiled back. "I'm still in trouble though, right? It just wouldn't feel right if I was let off the hook like that." Mr. Swons took out a pipe, (y'know, like the kind Sherlock Holmes had,) and he filled it with old-time shredded tobacco. "Well, hm. Let's see. What's your worst subject, Riley?" I grit my teeth as both the name of said subject and the reason for his question came to mind. "Art, sir." Mr. Swons raised an eyebrow at that. I shrugged. "I don't know either; I'm just no good at it." Mr. Swons shook his head as he lit his pipe. I didn't bother to point out that smoking at school was against the law. It was his school after all, he could do what he wanted. "Alright then. Double art homework." I've gotta admit, I was a little surprised at that. "Um, okay. If you say so, Sir." I answered, still not bothering to correct him. Mr. Swons nodded. "Very well, young man. You may leave." He said. I stood up, bowed for some reason, and left for my class.

"That's _**it**_?" Scott asked, and I'm pretty sure he didn't believe me. I shrugged. "Yep." Scott shook his head. "*och* Wow. That's…Not much." Kinu took my arm, her eyes reflecting mine. Somehow. "And you're sure you're okay with it?" I scoffed lightly. "It's just double homework. Nothing I can't handle." Scott punched me in the shoulder, again. I chuckled, shoving him off. Scott raised an eyebrow, the ever-present grin on his face widening into a full-on smile. "Alright, playing the tough guy, are we?" He asked lightly. I placed my hand on Kinu's, who was still holding my arm. "Even tough guys cry sometimes, Scotty." I replied. Scott opened his mouth to say something, his finger raised. Then he thought better of it, shutting his mouth and putting his finger back down. Kinu started to giggle again. That reminded me of the day we had almost died from laughing, and I burst out into loud laughter. Kinu must've known what I was thinking of because she started laughing too. Pretty soon, it was a very familiar scene with her bent over double and me lying flat on my back, just laughing. Scott just shook his head and muttered something about "more nutty than a squirrel's lunchbox." I managed to stand up and dust myself off. I took Kinu's arm, and we kept walking. We weren't that far from my house anyway, and Scott lived right across the street from me. We said 'later' and went inside.

"Son, I heard you struck Rebecca Saunders today?" My father asked at dinner. I didn't bother to make any excuses. "Yes, Father." I answered. He knew I was going to be straightforward about this. "Now, why would you do that? You wouldn't strike a young woman, not unless you had good reason to." My face flushed as I muttered into my milk, taking a sip. "What was that?" Dad asked. I swallowed, wiped my face with the napkin, then took a deep breath. "Surely the protection of one's charge justifies this? Right?" Dad nodded, then sighed. "What happened?" I explained, shirking a little when I brought up the fact that I had lost my temper as well. Dad didn't say anything for a while. Dinner was finished in silence. I was glad Kinu hadn't been down here when that happened. She had been really tired and gone to bed early, so she didn't eat with us. After dinner, I helped Mom with the dishes, then went upstairs to check on Kinu. "Hey, knock knock, kiddo." I said softly as I came into the room. I smiled lightly as I remembered that Lydia used to say that when I was little and having a bad day. She would come in and talk to me. Kinu shuffled a bit under the covers, but didn't say anything. I knew she was awake, though. Gently, I started singing. " I know, I know how to drive you wild, You know, You know how to make me smile… " I sat down on the bed next to her, letting the song trail off. I waited for a few seconds, then grinned as I was rewarded with soft humming. I chuckled, and lay down next to her. " Miss Mysterious… " Kinu sat up, wiping her eyes. "Hmm, trying to get me to talk to you by getting me to sing. Meanie." She grumbled. I kept the grin on my face as I sat up, and looked her in the eye. "Okay, what's wrong?" I asked, letting my expression get serious. Kinu looked away, curling up a bit. I sighed, took her chin in my hand, and gently led her face back to my direction. She had her eyes screwed shut. I tried not to laugh, but I failed. Again. And again it sounded really weird. Letting go of her chin to try to keep my own mouth shut, I bent over, hiding my face and biting my tongue. Kinu's eyes flew open, and she pointed at me. "AH! You giggled again! YAAUUSS, Scotty eat your HEART out!" I looked up at her, my laughter dead, probably with a weird look on my face as well. Kinu jumped off the bed, dashed over to my window that faced Scotty's window, grabbed my flashlight, and switched it on. It shone into his window on a certain poster. His poster that I'd gotten him from a field trip he'd missed out on in 8th grade. It was of a super hero dude defeating his enemy by flipping him off, and a bright light coming from the gesture. The beam of light from my flashlight shone on the hero's hand. I saw Scott pop up from under the window, wearing his giant foam hand from a homegame we went to for our high school football team last year. On it, he'd written _**Great f*%$ing job.**_ I tried to keep from laughing again, but I'm really bad at it for some reason. Kinu switched off, then back on. Scott frowned, then pointed at the hero's hand. I couldn't take it after that. I fell on the ground laughing. Kinu smiled, made a face at Scott, then turned the light off, and sat down next to me as I kept laughing. "Happy much?" She asked quietly. I noticed she sounded a little sad. I sat up, breathing hard. "Yeah, actually. I am happy. I'm happy I have great friends. Happy that I can stand up for someone. And I thank God every day that I have a wonderful person to look after." Kinu looked at me with wondrous eyes, probably not believing half of the last bit I'd said. I kept going. "Kinume, I really am glad that I have you to look after, no matter what anyone may say or tell you. You're my girl, and I'm grateful that I have you. I know, that's like the third time I've said that now. But I mean it. I'm happy to have you." Kinu's cheeks were slowly growing pink. "You…you called me 'your girl.' Th-that…" Realizing she was right made it really embarrassing. I didn't turn away, though. At that moment, all the power in the house went out. In the town, it seemed like. Kinu jumped at the sudden darkness, losing her balance and falling against me. I caught her, of course. But as I felt her warmth against me, I started to feel something else. Fatherly protectiveness slowly turned to something different. I couldn't tell right away. It may have been dark, but there was a full moon out, and the light from that came in through my window perfectly. Kinu looked up at me, something strong radiating from her face. I heard Lydia switch on her cordless radio, and Rascal Flatts came on. I hardly had control over what came next. I took her chin in my hand again, but very gently, as if she was made if glass. My movements corresponded with Lydia's music, it seemed. Kinu didn't pull away as I brushed away her hair from her face. Impulse overcame willpower, and I closed the distance between our lips. _**There would be a Riot, breaking up my heart, I'd try to fight it. I could go out every night but I'd be, Lying, If I said I could live and breathe, with, out, you. There'd be a lot of lonely, wishing and praying that you would hold me, I would do most anything, baby, if only, you would come back to me. There would be a Riot…**_

"So, that blackout last night… Waddya think happened?" Scott asked me on the way to class next day. I shrugged, not really paying attention. All I could think of was Kinume, and last night. Scott snapped his fingers in front of my face, trying to get my attention. "Hey, are you paying attention to me? What's UP with you today, man? It's like you're in another world or summit." I shook my head, grinning lightheartedly. "*heh* Sorry, bud. Guess I'm just… not all here." Scott scoffed. "THAT'S an understatement. You didn't even laugh at my joke this morning. Dude, there something you're not saying?" I made a little noise like Psht, waving my hand as if dismissing the subject. Scott eyed me like my hair had just turned purple or something. "Dude, I don't like this. You're being too… _ **easy.**_ Now, I'm gonna ask one more time. _**ARE. YOU. OH. KAY?**_ " I nodded stubbornly, not letting him have any ground. "Hah, come on." I chirped. "Let's get to class."

"But seriously, man. You are _**WAAAAY**_ too cheerful today. What happened? And I'm not gonna ask WHEN, because it could only have been this morning, or -…Aw, dude!" Scott facepalmed hard, grimacing as he did. Something told me he wasn't making faces from the pain. "Wh…what?" I stuttered. Dang, I hate it when I stutter. Scott looked at me with a look that could only mean 'dude, seriously?' "You got laid, huh?" He asked, his tone deep and definite. My face flushed a beet red, and my voice raised an octave as I protested. "W…WHAT?! N-no! You know I d-don't do that stuff!" Scott sighed. Break was slowly becoming too uncomfortable for me. "Hey, Thomas!" My heart leapt as I heard then saw Kinu coming towards us. I jumped out of my seat, greeting her with a hug. "Hey, Kinu." Scott scoffed, shaking his head. "Yeah, _**suuuure.**_ " I ignored him, and asked Kinu how classes were going. Kinu looked down at the floor, not answering. "W…well, they're okay. It's not the lessons or the teachers that're the problem. It's this guy, Johnny. He…he doesn't leave me alone, and – Oh, crud. He's coming." Kinu dodged behind me just as Johnny Silver came up. "Hey, c'mon sugar. I just wanna get to know you." He said, his voice sickeningly sweet. Kinu growled from behind me. "I told you, I'm NOT your sugar. Leave me alone." Johnny tried to get around me to her, but I pushed him away. I knew Johnny. He was a sleazeball who drank after school no matter what day it was. Every girlfriend he'd ever had had come to either me or Scott for a way out. We always managed to get them away from him, mostly because we were gentlemen, but there was another reason. Johnny had a history of abusing his girls, whether sexually or otherwise. I wasn't about to let him lay a finger on Kinume. Johnny snorted. "Hey, man. What's that for? Just trying to_" I cut him off with another shove. "Trying to pick up another chick to fuck around with then use as your newest punching bag when you've gotten too bored of her to know what to do with her? But you keep her around 'cause you don't know how to drop a girl?" Johnny's face turned stone cold and serious as anything. "You better watch your mouth, boy." He growled. I shoved him harder, my anger starting to boil over. " _ **Boy**_? I'm older than you, idiot." I turned to Kinu, took her hand, and started to walk away. Out of nowhere, I heard running steps. I knew it was Johnny, but I also knew I couldn't turn fast enough. I braced for impact, and I _heard_ an impact, but I didn't feel an impact. I heard Scott grunt in pain, and saw him clutching at his jaw as I turned around. "SCOTT!" I yelped. Scott spat on the dirt next to him. Blood and a molar landed in the dirt instead of normally expected saliva. I was furious, and was about to swing at Johnny, but Scott held me back. "No, Tom! It won't do any good. He's too stubborn to learn." I took a deep breath, and relaxed. Scott let go of one of my arms, wrapping his fingers around my left wrist. "Come on, we should go." He murmured around his mouth wound. I let him pull me away to the office. Kinu stayed by Scott's side the whole time, mostly because she had to hold him up. I didn't blame him for needing support, either. Johnny could hit hard. Scott walked over to the office secretary, Kinu still holding him up. "We need to see Mr. Swons." He said bluntly. She nodded, then went to fetch Mr. Swons.

"Ah, yes. Johnny. Well, I don't know what to tell you, kids. I have honest-to-God tried everything with that kid. Everything short of expulsion. If I released that thing onto the world… *ugh* Anyways, I'll talk to your parents about what happened, and explain what went on." Kinu nodded. "Thank you, sir." She muttered. We left without another word, and waited with Scott in the nurse's office for his mom.

"Ugh, I can't BELIEVE that Johnny!" I growled as I dropped my bag on the floor, still fuming over Johnny's stupid stunt. Kinu sat on the bed, taking off her shoes. I sat on the other side of the bed, more exhausted than mad now. I fell backwards onto the bed, my eyes closed. "I just don't know anymore." I mumbled, covering my closed eyes with my right arm. Kinu fell back like I had, laying exactly opposite me. I lowered my arm, and turned to look at her. Kinu brushed the hair from my face, smiling softly as she did. "He's not you, that's for sure." I chuckled lightly, sitting upright. Kinu sat up too. She took my hand, not seeming to be bothered by that morning's events. I didn't know if I should've kissed her then, but she saved me the trouble of deciding that by kissing me first. I just mentally shrugged, and decided to let it happen.

 _ **(A/N: Hey, guys. So this is going to be my first chapter story, and I really hope that it's not too bad. Luvs u, guys! ^-^)**_


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